MY UNDER 3000 WORD SHORT STORIES

Chapter 1. MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Enjoy listening to Kane Brown l just love the song

I stood there looking so helpless, my body had started feeling the toll of exhaustion.

"Ohh noo..." I thought aloud raking my hair in disbelief, my first and only original Arsenal Mesuit Ozil jersey was tattered and torn. I felt water flooding my eyes, l had to blink blink and blink just to avoid some of the water splashing my cheeks. It was my valuable treasurer, l had been given this shirt after my favourite uncle who stayed in London had passed on. This was the only thing that reminded me of him and how he would update me back home in Zimbabwe each time Arsenal won. We were both fans.

But how did l get here?
Where was l?
Why was l here?
Why were my clothes looking like a cow had just chewed it?
How come l looked so filthy?
What was wrong with me?

I failed to get answers, you see naturally am not the guy who goes to war, l'm not a fighter because every fight somebody took the punches for me. I always found somebody to run to, somebody to sacrifice, somebody to lean on. Actually l could get away with anything because l always had a somebody behind me. I was a boys no worry kinda guy, it ddint matter how many hearts of somebodies l crushed and burnt. What mattered was me getting the best of it.

I felt a cold breeze, brushing against my skin. I hated having to catch a cold, there was suddenly a strong wind that came from nowhere and almost lifted me from where l was standing. I felt scared, l started shivering, this was more than wind. l could feel like it was blowing thorns that were pricking me, l wanted to run but l was too weak. I said a little prayer but l had no faith, it got even worse. It blew again and l fell to the ground, l got on my knees and l heard a weird sound. My heart skipped, l almost fainted.

Crawling to the safest place was now my mission, the mission seemed impossible but l told myself impossible is nothing, l had to do this for my mother. Yes my mum, by now she must be going crazy over my whereabouts. I wanted to stand but my legs were jelly, l tried being a man but l didn't know how to because my whole life l was always that boy.

With the wind growing stronger and stronger l heard some rattling, I couldnt make certain from which direction it was coming from, l looked to my left to my right, left right, left right but it only left my head spinning. Something patted my back and l froze.

Like a zombie l sat still, that sound again drew even closer , l wanted to scream but something closed my mouth. A hand.....

"What the f..." I cursed deep down my thoughts. The shock that this hand gave me, l felt my body crashing like a wrecking ball had gotten into my space. Still in shock of the hand, the wind suddenly uprooted a tree nearby. I could see the tree falling in my direction. Something must have triggered my sixth sense and it told me to run for my dear life. I closed my eyes a little bit, gathered the last of my strength, counted up to three and l stood up and ran for dear life. I heard the tree falling hard on the ground and my God as l looked back, it was just a few inches away from me. For a minute l forgot about the hand, yes that hand....

From that narrow escape l do not remember how the hand left my mouth. It was as if it was also running away from death. I gave a sign of relief, but before l got to celebrate this freedom, l heard a whistle. Within seconds, that hand reappeared and this time it had a partner. Sweat began to fill my body, the hands came up together and did a few claps as if l had done something good. From a distant l heard a wild laugh. I turned to face where the laugh was coming from, and l froze.

Bones piled up near me, these were not just bones, they were human bones. l did not remember standing near a pile of bones that time when l escaped the tree saga. The sound faded away the time l saw these bones, l fainted. You see there are times when you wish to say a short prayer and just die, this was one of my many in the moment kind of thoughts. I preferred death than pain, that you die in that state before you feel more pain.